A collection of links we've gathered that offer information relevant to Freshwater's mission.
Comprehensive Guide on Home Water Conservation
A guide on 101 ways to save water at home, with advice and tips from more than 100 professionals.
The state of Minnesota’s groundwater, a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency analysis of groundwater monitoring that shows the quality of groundwater throughout the state and threats to the water that 75% of Minnesotans use for drinking. Visit the site.
Water use in Minnesota, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website that includes data analysis and a link to a spreadsheet showing permitted water use on a well-by-well basis. Visit the site.
Draft Groundwater Management Plan, a Minnesota DNR plan that calls for major changes in the way the agency regulates and manages groundwater use, including better enforcement of existing rules. Download.
Evaluation of Groundwater and Surface-Water Interaction: Guidance for Resource Assessment, a Metropolitan Council report, prepared by Barr Engineering, describing what it called the “nearly insurmountable challenge” of protecting lakes, streams, and wetlands from damage caused by groundwater pumping. Download.
Groundwater Sustainability: Towards a Common Understanding, a white paper report on two groundwater sustainability workshops sponsored by the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center and Freshwater. Download.
Nitrogen in Minnesota Surface Waters, a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency report on the estimated amount of nitrogen that flows into Minnesota surface waters each year. The report looks at sources, flow patterns, and trends. Read the executive summary. Download.
Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy, a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency proposal to reduce the nitrogen and phosphorus, primarily from agriculture, that flow into Minnesota streams and then down the Mississippi River and the Red River to the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Winnipeg. Read executive summary. Download.
State of the River Report: Water Quality and River Health in the Metro Mississippi River, a report by the Friends of the Mississippi River and the National Park Service documenting significant improvements, over time, in the Mississippi in the Twin Cities. The report also points out continuing and emerging threats to the river. Download.
Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals of Concern in Rivers: Occurrence and Biological Effects, a report on Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's extensive study of Minnesota’s rivers and streams that shows several commonly used pharmaceuticals and other commercial chemicals are present in most of the state’s flowing waters. Download.
Metals and other trace elements, a U.S. Geological Survey website that covers where and how trace elements make their way into our Nation's surface water and groundwater. Visit the site.
Minnesota Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan, a draft revision by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture of 20-year-old guidelines for nitrogen fertilizer use. The plan is aimed at mitigating and reducing nitrate contamination of groundwater. Download.
Adapting to Climate Change in Minnesota, an Interagency Climate Adaptation Team (ICAT) report that highlights steps taken by state agencies since the previous ICAT report in 2013, to adapt to a changing climate, reduce risks and impacts, and increase the resilience of our communities. Download.